Skater Boy
by Fresh Water Plimpy
Summary: Dudley Dursley was never meant to work at Grunnings: far too formal for him. Constructive criticism is welcome.


**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter.**

**A/N: Inspiration comes from Avril Lavigne's song, 'Skater Boy'.**

* * *

Skater Boy

Dudley Dursley made it big when he and his band had recorded their very first album about six months previously. Within a week of it's release, there had been a public demand for the band to tour and they all-too-willingly accepted and agreed on a massive total of twelve dates for the UK, and tonight was just the first.

Dudley was sat in the tour bus, realising that he had butterflies in his stomach, which was extremely unusual for him. He had only ever had butterflies once before in his life and that was when he was trying to ask a girl out when he sixteen. She had just looked at him as though he was a disgusting specimen of fungi, then lifted her chin in the air and walked away, her friends following suit.

When she had rejected him, Dudley had been hurt - not that he ever told anyone that, of course. He just laughed it off with his gang, while his insides burned.

For Dudley's eighteenth birthday, his parents had given him a guitar. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life: even more so than his favourite pudding of chocolate éclairs. That was five years ago and playing that guitar had made him and some friends famous. On the table in the kitchen area was a copy of last weeks local newspaper: his father had sent it to him, saying it was important to keep up with news in case he ever had to refer to it in an interview.

Picking it up, Dudley opened it at random and saw that he was on the announcement page. He was just about to turn the page to something more interesting when something caught his eye. Flattening the newspaper on the table he saw that there was a double announcement, the first reading:

_Mr &Mrs Mark Robertson  
__are proud to  
__announce the  
__birth of their daughter,  
__Emily_

Below the statement was a date of about two weeks ago. The second announcement read:

_Mark Robertson,  
__proud father &  
__loving husband  
__has sadly passed away  
__leaving behind his wife  
__Rachel Robertson (nee Smith)  
__and newborn daughter, Emily_

Dudley stared at the second announcement, his heart hammering against his ribs. He knew that name. She was the girl he had unsuccessfully tried to ask out, butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Just then, another memory worked its way to the surface of his brain. It was of his mother telling them that Mr and Mrs Smith's only daughter was getting married to the milkman (they had mysteriously stopped getting their milk in the mornings and Dudley had his suspicions that his mother had stopped their delivery, wanting no dealings with the man that was marrying the daughter of a respectable couple).

So she had had a baby then? Dudley was surprised to find that this information didn't bother him in the slightest. Deciding he needed something to distract him from his nerves before tonight's show, Dudley switched on the small television that sat in the corner of the bus. He saw himself on the screen: he was watching a music channel and the bands first single was playing. He noticed how good he looked: during the past few years Dudley had lost a lot of weight. His mothers family diet had finally taken effect and so, during the time when he and his family had been in hiding, he had taken up proper exercise and not just wrestling.

When he wasn't learning how to play his guitar, he was lifting weights and going running when he was allowed out of the house they were staying in. Well, during his first year he had had to walk, but by the time it got to his second year and they had moved back home he was able to jog at a steady pace. But now he could run full pelt, something he hadn't been able to do since the age of three.

He had also matured a lot too. He had always been the bully when he was at primary school and when he had gotten into Smelting's he had only gotten worse because he was now allowed a weapon, which was his cane. But ever since he had been turned down by Rachel Smith he had decided that it was time for change. His first good act had been leaving a cup of tea outside his cousin Harry's bedroom door, too embarrassed to give it to him himself. Then later the same evening, he had thanked Harry for saving him. He couldn't believe that his mother had cried about that.

The song on the TV ended and up came an advertisement for concert tickets to see the band, saying that a limited number of tickets would be available to buy that night at the door.

"Hey, Dudley! You ready for this, dude? It's time!" yelled Mike, who was the bands drummer.

He had just walked in from outside, closely followed by Simon, Jamie and Jessica. Mike was a tall, with heavily muscled arms and legs, sandy-blonde hair that was swept back from his face, drum sticks in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. Simon also played guitar, like Dudley, and he was also muscled, but shorter than Mike. Jamie was the bands bassist and had jet-black hair that came across his face, hiding his eyes from view. After years of knowing him, they still didn't know what colour his eyes were. Stood next to him was his twin sister, who also happened to be Dudley's girlfriend. Jessica was the bands vocalist and she also had black hair, but she wore it swept to the side so that she could see what she was doing.

"Are you coming then, Dudley?" Jessica asked. "Or are you going to just stand there?" She smiled as she slipped her arms around his waist. "This is what we've been dreaming of for years and finally we're getting to live out that dream! We need to give them a show they'll never forget for as long as they live."

Jessica stood up on her tip-toes and kissed Dudley on the cheek before slipping her hand through his and pulling him towards the door of the bus. Each and every face became determined as they went in through the back entrance to do a quick sound check before retreating to their changing room before the show.

At eight o'clock that evening, the doors were opened, admitting hundreds of screaming fans, each trying to get to the barrier first so that they could be right at the front. At nine o'clock the band ran onstage and went straight into their first song.

It was just past midnight when the band made their way to their changing room, each of the them leaving a trail of sweat behind as they walked. All five of them ached in every inch of their bodies, but their faces all shared the same exhilarated look.

"Who would have thought that playing live to hundreds of people could give you such an adrenaline rush?" laughed Dudley as he opened the door to their room.

The others joined in as they wiped their faces with already soaking wet towels. They changed into clean clothes, using the wipes Dudley's mother had sent them to clean themselves up as they would have no proper access to a decent shower for a while yet. When the band was finally clean again, they went out the way they had come in, only to be met by a handful of hopeful fans. They stopped for about half an hour before they had to make their excuses and leave them.

"Sorry guys, but we have to get back to our bus." Simon was saying as he signed one last ticket. "We need our sleep before tomorrow nights show. See you and thanks for coming!"

Once they were all back on their bus, Dudley and Jessica plonked themselves down onto the sofa, while Jamie, Mike and Simon tactfully got ready for bed. Before they each drew the curtains shut across their bed spaces, they had one last glance at the couple on the sofa. They were both talking in low voices about that nights gig and how neither of them could wait for the next one. The others had to agree that this was only the beginning: for the band, their futures and Dudley and Jessica's relationship.

* * *

**A/N: A small review would be nice :)**


End file.
